The current emphasis on energy conservation in buildings must be balanced by a careful consideration of how proposed approaches affect building occupants. A headlong rush toward building designs that conserve energy at the expense of the quality of buildings as judged by occupants would be a very shortsighted approach. There must be a continual awareness and sensitivity of the consequences on people when selecting among alternative "technical" options designed as a result of energy conservation needs. We need an increasing understanding of such factors as thermal comfort and illumination needs in buildings, as decisions likely to influence these requirements are made by designers. Another area of concern which should not be overlooked is the interaction of people with their environments. Approaches to energy conservation problems are often defeated by building occupants. Tight seals around doors and windows are useless if doors and windows are kept open, and building occupants have no choice but to turn all of the lights on or off if these are the only control options available to them. Building managers, operators, and occupants have an important, though not well understood, role to play in any energy conservation program. (Author)